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Shadow Show: Puppet Show and Illusions

Great activity idea: Put on a Shadow Puppet Show! You can use many different things for your puppet characters!

Shadow Puppet Show

All you need is a bed sheet or large piece of thin paper. Shine a light from behind it, where you will be casting the shadows. Your audience will sit on the opposite side of it and see the shadows that you cast on the sheet.

Shadows can be created from many things:

  • Paper cutouts
  • Foam shapes
  • Silverware
  • Other Unusual items from around the house
  • Your hands!

Try a Shadow Puppet play with your created characters!

Shadow Puppet Show with Sheets!
Shadow Puppet show — with a creative Bed Sheet!

Shadow Illusions

Kijeon and Zach show you some really cool shadow illusions. In the description of the video, you can download the 3d models if you wanted to print these out and try them!

Mystery Science: Engaging Science for Remote Learning

The Mystery Science team creates lessons that inspire kids to love science! They provide an engaging and understandable approach for kids to learn about the mysteries of our world through science.

To help with School Closure Planning, they have created a dedicated page to access their FREE lessons that do not need an account.

Also, for a limited time each week, Mystery Science is giving away FREE memberships for one year (to June 2021). So if you don’t see them available, just visit their website on a regular basis.

In addition to Mystery Science, make sure you don’t miss “Ask Doug” each week! Doug answers real kids science questions and provides a fun and easy-to-understand perspective! He also inspires kids to ask their own questions that they may have. Check out Mystery Doug!

Learn exciting Science with Mystery Science!

Science and Technology: Stay-at-Home Things to Do

The following is a list of great Science and Technology resources

Access Mars: VR Curiosity Rover

  • Explore Mars on NASA’s Curiosity Rover!

Mystery Science

  • Hands-on videos that are captivating and spark discussions!

Mystery Doug

  • Every Video answers real student science questions!

Everyday Earth

  • An Interactive, Online STEM Program

5 Days of Engineering Challenges

  • Try out these easy-to-do engineering challenges!

Ask Dr. Universe

  • Kids get their questions answered by Dr. Universe at Washington State University

Smithsonian Ocean

  • Engage kids in the wonders of our oceans.

Steve Spangler Experiment Library

  • Experiments that you can do at Home!

NASA Kids’ Club

  • Play games and learn about Space

Tyto Experiments

  • Currently free for parents and teachers for a limited time

The Happy Scientist

  • Learn some science with Robert Krampf

Stay-At-Home Things to Do (List #1)

This for when you’re looking for fun, educational, creative or worthwhile things to do when you’re staying around the house!

old-fasioned-things

40 Old-Fashioned Skills that Kids Need to Know Today

This is an excellent list, created by Frugal Fun 4 Boys & Girls. The article also has tips for practical knowledge and social skills.

The list of skills includes things like:

  • How to make a phone call
  • How to check tire pressure
  • How to fix something instead of replace it

10-page Stay-At-Home Care Package

This printable PDF package has been created by Alexandra Eidens of Big Life Journal

This pack of ideas will get your children moving and learning while staying indoors!


Free STEAM Activities from Ozobot

This list of online resources is provided for every letter in STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math)

Thanks to Ozobot for such cool ideas!


Google Earth has a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego game

You have to follow clues, research what the clues mean and figure out where to go next.

The game is filled with facts about each city you “visit.”

To get your assignment, look for the special edition Pegman icon in Google Earth for ChromeAndroid and iOS. Good luck, super sleuths! “


Digital Escape Rooms

Very talented and creative people at a few libraries have created Digital Escape Rooms and offered it for FREE! It’s just like the fun and challenge of a physical Escape Room without the need to be trapped in a confined space!

You can complete this escape room as a family or individual, you can compete against friends and try it multiple times. Just make sure you have fun!

Hogwarts Digital Escape Room


Marvel’s Avengers: Escape from the Hydra Base!


Dog Man Digital Escape Room

Escape from Wonderland Digital Escape Room

Space Explorer Training Digital Escape Room

Minecraft Digital Escape Room

  • Created by Laura Escamilla, Youth Services Librarian at the Regency Park Library in New Port Richey, Florida

Pikachu’s Rescue Escape Room

Escape from Star Killer Base!


Bring the fun and challenge of a physical Escape Room to the virtual world.

If you know of someone who would like to create one of these escape rooms, or want to create one yourself, you can check out this “How to Build a Digital Escape Room Using Google Forms” by Meredith/Bespoke.

Paper Airplane Range: Have Fun with Paper Airplanes

Paper Airplane Range!

This is a game of skill where you challenge your friends and family to score the most points by flying your paper airplane through a target.

You can use large poster board paper and draw circles or other shapes and determine the points that your contestants will score when they fly their paper airplanes through the holes.

You can download a template to get you started: Paper Airplane Range.pdf

You can make it similar to this design

As you make Paper airplanes, try out various designs of folded airplanes and see which type you prefer! Some may fly straighter, for longer, or loop around. Then you’ll know what type of airplane you’d like to use when playing this Paper Airplane Range game.